Abu Dhabi developer Aldar has sold an eight-bedroom ultra-luxury mansion for Dh400 million ($109 million), which it claimed was the most expensive home ever sold in the UAE capital.
Within beachfront project Faya Al Saadiyat, the mansion offers the largest allocation of space, spanning 6,561 square metres on Saadiyat Island, Aldar said in a statement on Thursday.
Its amenities include a private car gallery, a golf simulator and an in-house cinema, as well as wellness and fitness suites. It also offers direct access to a beach.
The sale comes amid robust growth in Abu Dhabi’s luxury real estate market, driven by rising demand from high-net-worth individuals, long-term residents and international investors, the company said.
"Saadiyat Island continues to attract homebuyers and investors from around the world," said Jonathan Emery, chief executive at Aldar Development.
"This sustained momentum reflects the success of Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision, enabled by progressive government policies, long-term residency initiatives and strategic investment in infrastructure, culture, and entertainment.”
Millionaire investors are increasingly looking towards Abu Dhabi property. The UAE capital is home to the highest number of luxury properties on sale in the country, with 352 homes for sale valued above $1 million, a recent report by real estate developer Bloom Holding found.
The highest property price growth in the country between 2020 and 2025 was in Abu Dhabi, with growth of 202 per cent, and 8,490 properties on sale increasing in value, the report found.
Low taxes and substantial sovereign wealth, along with high living standards, were listed as significant factors in attracting ultra-high-net-worth individuals to Abu Dhabi for long-term property investments.
Abu Dhabi's population has also increased from 2.7 million in 2014 to more than 4.1 million in 2024.
In the first three months of 2025, total real estate transactions in Abu Dhabi grew by 34.5 per cent annually, climbing to Dh25.3 billion, according to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (Adrec). The number of property deals during the period also increased more than 19 per cent to 6,896.
Adrec is focused on "upholding strong governance and regulatory oversight" of the sector, said Ghazi Al Otaibi, executive director of the real estate transactions sector at Adrec. "Transactions of this scale reflect the strength of a maturing market and the effectiveness of a regulatory framework we’ve put in place designed to support and attract responsible, high-value investment.”
The latest sale follows the Dh137 million sale of Aldar’s Nobu Residences Abu Dhabi penthouse on Saadiyat Island in March last year.
Aldar said it recorded Dh5 billion in sales on Saadiyat Island in the first half of this year. Foreign residents accounted for 86 per cent of buyers, including 46 per cent residents and 40 per cent non-residents. The buyers were mainly nationals of Russia, France, the UK, China and the US.
Faya Al Saadiyat is an exclusive luxury gated community with 21 homes, including two eight-bedroom mansions and 19 six to seven-bedroom villas, scheduled for completion in 2028. It is being designed by 1508 London Interior Design Studio and Nordic Office Architects.
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
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CREW
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Stage 2 results
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 04:18:18
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:02
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:04
4 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates
5 Rick Zabel (GER) Israel Start-Up Nation
General Classification
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 07:47:19
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:12
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:16
4 Nikolai Cherkasov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:17
5 Alexey Lutsensko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 00:00:19
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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